Railway danger-alarm



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. J.-HAYNES & O. ALLEN. RAILWAY DANGER ALARM.

No. 459,456. Patented Sept. 15, 1891.

' Y j 25 z E SES: A- J INVENTORS Z ZMM Bflm ATTORNEY.

"n1: mans PiYEBS ca, m mo-umo msummnu, m c;

"(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.-

D. J. HAYNES & O. ALLEN.

RAILWAY DANGER ALARM.

No. 459,456. Patented Sept. 15, 1891.

I WL,

w T/VE s.- L l/VVE/VTOHS A TTOR/VE Y.

IlNiTE STATES ATENT Prion.

DANIEL J. HAYNES AND ORREN ALLEN, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

RAILWAY DANGER-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,456, datedSeptember 15, 1 891.

Application filed September 16, 1890. Serial No. 365,187. (N0 model.)

To coZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, DANIEL J. HAYNES and ORREN ALLEN, bot-h citizens ofthe United States of America, residing at Denver, in the county ofArapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Railway Danger-Alarms; an d we do declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains'to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a partof this specification.

Our invention relates to a new and improved railway dan ger-alarmdesigned specifr cally to indicate the destruction of a culvert orbridge.

It consists in the circuit-operating apparatus located at the culvertand the alarm apparatus located on the approaching train, whereby analarm is sounded 011 said train in case of the destruction of theculvert.

In carrying out our improved system we locate a suitable source ofelectricityat acouvenient point upon the trainas, for instance, upon thelocomotive in the case of trains propelled by steam-power and upon themotorcar where electricity is the propelling agent.

Hereinafter in this specification where the term car is employed aloneit will be used as a general term for the motor (steam, electricity, orother) connected with the train, supposed to occupy the foremostposition and to afford the best location for the mechanism necessary inequipping a train for carrying out our signaling system, though thismechanism may be located on any other portion of the train. tricity oneof the wires (positive or negative) is electrically connected with oneof the rails of the track, the other wire leading to a suitableelectrical conductor lying between the rails of the track, arranged insections with the ends overlapping, as shown in Fig. 2, all locomotivesor motor-cars on the same system be ing similarly equipped.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated an embodiment of ourinvention, in which Figure 1 is a front view of a car equipped inaccordance with our system. Fig. 2 is a Leading from said source ofelec-' plan View of the track, showing the central conductor secured tothe ties supporting the rails. Fig. 3 is a detail View on an enlargedscale, showing a means of carrying the current from the electric sourceto the rail. Fig. 4 illustrates the means of completing the circuit bythe destruction of a culvert or bridge.

In the views,wherein similar reference-characters indicate correspondingparts, let the numeral 1 designate a conventional locomotive or carmounted on wheels engaging rails 2, resting upon ties 25. Located,preferably, midway between the rails and lying parallel therewith is asuitable electric conductor 3, supported by the ties in such a manner asto beinsulated from the ground. The continuity of the central conductoris broken at points A any desired distance apart, the conductor beingdoubled, as shown at B B, the brush engaging the central conductor beingof sufficient size to engage both parts of this doublet section B B.Located at a convenient point on the locomotive or motor-car of thetrain is a suitable source of electricity 4, from which lead thepositive and negative wires 5 and (5. One of these wires (as shown inthe drawings the negative) leads to a metal or other suitable brushrigidly connected with the frame-work of the car 1 by means of an arm 8,the brush being insulated from the surrounding parts of the car and incontact with one of the wheels. The other wire (the positive)communicates through the medium of a bar or handle 10 with a brush 9,the brush engaging the central conductor Handle 10 is rigidly secured tothe frame-work of the car and suitably insulated therefrom.

Conveniently located upon the car for signaling purposes is the alarmmechanismll,

connected with one of the wires leading from the source of electricityand consisting, as shown in the drawings, of a small electromagnet, aspring-armature forming the clapcircuit-closer operated by an abnormalcondition of a bridge or culvert, as will be specifically pointed out.The brush 7, connected with the car-wheel, may be, if desired, in direct engagement with the rail, or the brush may be dispensed with andthe wire connected with any part of the car from which the current willbe conducted to the rail. If the axles of the locomotives and cars areinsulated from the rails by the use of paper or fiber wheels, or in anyother manner, the central conductor may be dispensed with and both wiresleading from the source of electricity connected with the rails, one communieating with each side of the track. In this case each wire may becarried to a brush 7, engaging the rim or tire of a wheel, (which isassumed to be of metal and therefore a conductor,) or the brush may bein direct contact with the rails.

The circuit-closer for giving the alarm upon the destruction of theculvert or bridge is constructed as follows: A box 14 is located in thevicinity of each culvert. This box is provided on its interior with twoparts 15 and 16, both conductors, normally separated from each other andalways insulated from their inclosure. One of these parts, as 15, ismovable and electrically connected with the central conductor by a wire17, while the other is stationary and connected with the rail 2 by awire 18. The movable part 15 is normally supported from engagement withpart 16 by means of a trigger 19, which is supported by a tie 20 on aculvert or trestle. In case the culvert is destroyed, the trigger isdisplaced,

and part 15 drops by gravity to engagement with part 16, closes thecircuit, and sounds the alarm mechanism located on the approachingtrain. It the central conductor is dispensed with, the opposite side ofthe track instead would be connected with'part 15 in a similar mannerfor the purpose of completing the circuit under similar circumstances.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- In a railwaysystem of signaling, the combination of a box located in the vicinity ofa culvert or bridge, having within ita fixed contact electricallyconnected with one of the rails of the track supported beneath a movablecontact, electrically connected with a conductor between the rails, andnormally held out of contact by means of a supportingtrigger fixed tothe culvert and operating to hold the movable contact out of engagementwith the fixed contact as long as the culvert is intact, in combinationwith suitable electrical connections between the conductor and rail anda source of electricity, and alarm devices in circuit therewith on thetrain, whereby an alarm is sounded on an approaching train to giveWarning of the destruction of V the culvert, as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

DANIEL J. HAYNES. ORREN ALLEN. Witnesses:

WM. MCOONNELL, G. J. ROLLANDET.

